Human Dignity at the Heart of Our Common Future
Universal Peace Federation Statement for Human Rights Day, 10 December 2025
On 10 December the international community marks Human Rights Day, commemorating the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris in 1948 as General Assembly resolution 217 A. The Declaration set out, for the first time, a common standard of fundamental rights and freedoms for all people and has inspired a wide body of international human rights treaties and standards, becoming a foundation for contemporary international law and cooperation. In 2025 the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights focuses on the theme “Our Everyday Essentials,” underlining that equality, justice, freedom and dignity must shape not only institutions and laws but also daily choices, relationships and digital spaces.
UN 16 Days of Activism: Ending Gender-Based and Digital Violence
Human Rights Day concludes the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, a global campaign that runs from 25 November to 10 December and calls for the elimination of violence against women and girls. This year, the United Nations system, including the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and partners highlight the urgent need to “UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls,” affirming that online harassment, image-based abuse and technology-facilitated coercion are forms of violence that must be prevented and addressed with the same seriousness as violence in physical spaces.
Human Dignity as the Foundation of Peace and One Family under God
The Universal Peace Federation (UPF), an NGO in General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, joins the United Nations family and all partners in renewing commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights for every person. Our founders, Dr. Hak Ja Han and Dr. Sun Myung Moon, consistently taught that authentic peace rests on respect for human dignity that flows from a universal divine source and that all people ultimately belong to one human family.
Upholding Universal Rights: Equality, Justice and SDG 16
The 2030 Agenda, particularly SDG 16, affirms that sustainable development must be grounded in universal respect for human rights, the rule of law, justice, equality and non-discrimination, while pledging to leave no one behind. From its inception, the Universal Peace Federation has translated the principles of human dignity and interdependence into concrete initiatives. Through the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace, UPF convenes lawmakers from diverse parties and nations to discuss legislation that strengthens the rule of law, protects freedom of conscience and belief and advances good governance.
Interfaith Dialogue and the Protection of Human Rights through IAPD
UPF programs in interreligious dialogue through the Interreligious Association for Peace and Development (IAPD), peace education, and humanitarian service are rooted in ethical and spiritual renewal. Educational initiatives for youth and students through the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace (IAYSP) strengthen responsibility and respect for diversity, supporting more resilient communities.
Reaffirming Universal Human Rights and Protecting Civic Space in a Changing World
On this Human Rights Day the Universal Peace Federation encourages governments, international organizations and all stakeholders to reaffirm the universality and interdependence of human rights. The Universal Peace Federation encourages states and international organizations to strengthen national human rights institutions, uphold the independence of the judiciary and protect civic space so that human rights defenders, journalists, women leaders and youth activists can work without fear. It also encourages greater cooperation to address emerging challenges such as artificial intelligence, surveillance technologies and digital platforms in ways that safeguard privacy, freedom of expression, equality and the security of women and girls in all spaces.
The Role of UPF in Promoting Human Rights and Interdependence
We encourage UPF Ambassadors for Peace, including political, religious, academic, media and civil society leaders in every region, to use their influence to promote a culture of human rights grounded in moral responsibility and service. We invite young leaders to take roles in defending human dignity, challenging discrimination and hate speech, and building bridges across lines of religion, ethnicity, gender and generation.
'Human Rights Day this year is especially poignant. As we approach the joyous time of Christmas we must acknowledge that we have horrendous wars in Europe and elsewhere with the associated distress of all those involved. We must call to mind all those for whom this will be a time of suffering from oppression, starvation, enduring or fleeing from tyranny and modern slavery, subjected to domestic and sexual abuse and living in conflict zones in which humanity is held cheap and life is uncertain. As the rules based order seems to crumble amid the clear inadequacies of our international institutions, the role of UPF in showing ways towards peace and reconciliation in our troubled world is even more important. We all have a role to play and now is more critical than ever before.' Keith Best TD MA Chair of UPF UK Board of Trustees and an Ambassador for Peace.
We recognize that the foundation for human rights is the understanding that every person carries inherent worth. As Dr. Hak Ja Han has often reminded us, peace is possible when we see one another not as strangers or rivals but as members of one human family who share a common origin and a shared future. UPF therefore reaffirms its vision of a world where all people live as one family under God, in societies that honor human dignity, uphold justice, protect the vulnerable and cultivate a culture of service and mutual care.
Dr. Tageldin Hamad
President, Universal Peace Federation
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